Yanks Abroad Flavors of the Week: 2019/20 Thread

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by TheFalseNine, Jul 16, 2019.

  1. matabala

    matabala Member+

    Sep 25, 2002
    The use of the word "panic" says more about your state of mind than that of the poster. Facts are stubborn things.
     
  2. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Recent US U23 callup Niko Hamaleinen started for Kilmarnock as they beat Hibs 2-0. Hamaleinin, by the way...…………...spent time at the FC Dallas academy.
     
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  3. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Really? Chelsea has played 6 games. He’s played in all but 1, the most recent. Chelsea also have a compacted schedule and play every 3, 5, 3, 3, 3 and 4 days in their next games. He wants to ask if the writing is on the wall already. That poster is either panicked, trying to incite panic or most likely just reactionary and not critically thinking. He didn’t play in one game. If he starts missing several then the question can be legit to start talking about. Until then just pump the breaks.

    Edit: it’s both reactionary and panic. I just reread his post and he’s talking about Pulisic failed in his 4 game shot and we should get use to seeing him on the bench.
     
  4. FC Tallavana

    FC Tallavana Member+

    Jul 1, 2004
    La Quinta
    I see nothing wrong with that advice.
     
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  5. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    Maybe wood should have listened
     
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  6. truefan420

    truefan420 Member+

    May 30, 2010
    oakland
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Honestly he shouldn’t even have had to say it. Every player should know and understand that. Hell every player shouldn’t even do it for club. Their careers are short if their injured and questionable on whether playing can make it worse they should take care of their body cause when they don’t and the injuries stack it’s their career and later parts of life that will suffer.
     
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  7. glutton4Bolts

    glutton4Bolts Member+

    United States
    Mar 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think panic is the right word... Concerned is more like it. Chelsea is a top EPL team and the other young guns are making an impact.... Pulisic has not... albeit in a small sample. I think he didn't get any minutes this week because they were blowing Wolves out and they have a CL game coming up that I expect Pulisic to start. But Odoi will be back soon and that is another winger that will take time from him... especially considering that he signed a contract extension. In short, Pulisic needs to get assists/goals asap or else I think he will be a 2nd option rather than a 1st.

    But the rest of my gripe still holds. Adding in Sunday's 4 games... I recorded 12 matches in the EPL and Bundisliga this weekend and Steffan was the only US player that started w/ Sargent/McKennie coming on as subs. There is an impressive wave of U20 US players coming up so I expect it to change in a couple of years... but for now, we are woefully under-represented at the highest of leagues. That is a fact.
     
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  8. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Chandler started at LWB for Frankfurt and went 90 in a L1-2. McKennie picked up a stomach bug which is why he did not get the start. Morales was injured on US duty but had been a lock starter.
     
  9. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    It always amazes me the number of players who get hurt during international duty. Makes me wonder: is the stress of representing your entire country something that may affect your predisposition to injuries?
     
  10. glutton4Bolts

    glutton4Bolts Member+

    United States
    Mar 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah... Morales is a lock when healthy... my original post did in fact mention that injuries has something to do with the lack of US players in the starting lineups in Euro this weekend. The injury to Adams hurts the most because he was looking like a real star at RB and news on his return has been sketchy. Last news was around 8/21 and said 3 weeks until returning to training. Not sure if he is actually practicing with the team?.?... but I sorely miss watching him play. Back to Morales... he looked like he took a real step forward this year so it makes the injury against Mexico all the more frustrating. Finally, not many options in the EPL so when Pulisic doesn't play it sux.
     
  11. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    During the Dortmund - Bayer game they said it was very taxing to play in North America, fly back to Germany in a different time zone and play that weekend and that was why (can't remember his name) the Jamaican player was on the bench. Couldn't tell if it was Kirovski that was saying that but it sounded like him. I'd wait until next week to see which Americans aren't getting minutes before panicking.
     
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  12. UncagedGorilla

    Barcelona
    Sep 22, 2009
    East Bay, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    Here's a good interview with Eric Lichaj about Hull and his role as the captain there that touched on the national team at the end - https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/eric-lichaj-hull-city-wigan-3317894

    Here's the quote for those who don't want to read the whole article:

    Gregg Berhalter, appointed US head coach in December, is yet to call up Lichaj or even hold talks with the 30-year-old.

    “I was talking to someone about this in the physio room, saying that as a kid my goal was to win the World Cup,” explained Lichaj.

    “I don’t know if that’ll happen now as a player because I’m not getting picked.

    “It’s still a goal of mine. I still hope the USA do well but I haven’t got any emails so it doesn’t look like I’ll be in the fold at all.

    “It is a little bit disappointing but it is what it is. I’ve got a job to do here so I can’t dwell on it too much.”

    Personally, I find this very disappointing given the fact that we're calling in Lovitz at LB. And after watching Ream play some of the best minutes we've seen at CB under Egg, I think Lichaj would be an upgrade to play the "Ream" role, more of a defense-first type LB if Ream is moved to where he should be playing, LCB. Lichaj is still the last LB that's put in a great shift in a USMNT shirt (Portugal, November 2017).
     
  13. FC Tallavana

    FC Tallavana Member+

    Jul 1, 2004
    La Quinta
    YAs not getting minutes after an international break has been the norm for nearly two decades now.
     
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  14. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Leon Bailey
     
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  15. laxcoach

    laxcoach Member+

    United States
    Jul 29, 2017
    intermountain west
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Criminal. Either criminal stupidity or criminally blind bias.
     
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  16. dougtee

    dougtee Member+

    Feb 7, 2007
    honestly i would rather see gloster called up than lichaj or lovitz
     
  17. UncagedGorilla

    Barcelona
    Sep 22, 2009
    East Bay, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    But it really doesn't have to be an either/or. Fyi, my money's on Gloster to be our LB in 2022 but he's not the best right now. I think calling in Lichaj for the Gold Cup and Gloster for the Nation's League would be totally appropriate though I'd still call Robinson before Gloster. What Gregg seems to struggle with is the realization that a big part of the job is about building a pool because we're seeing what it looks like when injuries hit. The 40 man Gold Cup roster was an absolute joke. I've said it before but replace Gonzalez with Ream and bring Lichaj and Robinson as your LB's and I think things would have looked quite a bit different.

    Right now, our LB pool is Ream, Lovitz, and Dest. Ream is a center back who is not a particularly good LB because his weaknesses are even more exposed out there and his passing isn't as critical as from the center which is why he looked great in the Uruguay game. Lovitz is one of the worst players I've ever seen called up. Dest is an attacking RB who struggles defensively more on the left than the right. The last time we saw an excellent LB performance by anyone in a USMNT shirt was Lichaj against Portugal in 2017. That whole defense with him-Brooks-Miazga-Yedlin, and throw in Danny Williams at the 6, was lights out that game. For a 30-year-old team captain who is absolutely a better LB than 31-year-old Ream and 28-year-old Lovitz to have not even heard from Gregg is really strange and as @laxcoach said, either extremely stupid or extremely biased.
     
  18. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    maybe he should start doing some ass-kissing like Holden and Edu! Then he can be at the world cup as a commentator!
     
  19. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007

    PROVIDE PROOF this is really what was said, because they (the writers) don't. he never mentioned anything to that level only the part that your club will be pissed if you worsen your injury.

    Just another elaborate deflecting puff piece to make excuses for a past era of people who could never adapt to changing times and allow the USA soccer program to evolve into a more integrity-filled team.

    Bruce Arena never tried to make it in Europe. he settled for controlling USMNT with Garber, stateside, forever.
     
  20. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    For those that didn't see this...…………….four Americans under the age of 19 all appeared in one Dutch second division game yesterday. Jong PSV versus Jong Ajax. Gloster, Mendez, and Ledesma. All recently part of the US U20WC squad. And then 17 year old Josh Pynadath of Ajax made his debut at this level. All four of these kids have USMNT potential, perhaps sooner rather than later for the first three.
     
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  21. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    There are some players that get hyped up from time to time on these boards and one doesn't really understand why. Eric Lichaj? Really? That's who folks are passionately making a case for? This is a career Championship caliber player on the wrong side of 30 that hasn't looked all that great when he has gotten USMNT opportunities. Give me the "next generation" instead.
     
  22. HScoach13

    HScoach13 Member+

    Nov 30, 2016
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Draw a line on any date on the soccer schedule that is not prior to an "international break". Then allow all teams to play two games. Compare injuries over that time. I believe it would be statistically equal or very near equal to the number of injuries incurred over a "international break".
     
  23. UncagedGorilla

    Barcelona
    Sep 22, 2009
    East Bay, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    A couple things. When we are calling up a 31-year-old guy to play out of position as our first choice LB and a 28-year-old who has no business even being on a Camp Cupcake roster then guys like Eric Lichaj start to look pretty enticing.

    Also, I don't know if career Championship player is supposed to be a knock against him? It's a really good league. We have many Americans playing there that have performed well for the USMNT in the past and at present. He is also the captain of his team there which I can't remember the last time an American was captain of an English team.

    But most importantly, it's all about style. The "Ream role" is asked to be a defense first, stay-at-home type LB who needs to be comfortable pinching in but also be able to hold up reasonably well when isolated on the wing. Lichaj is a really good one on one defender that we could reasonably expect to hold up against international caliber attackers like Mexico has. Hull asked him to fill a need when both their summer acquisitions at LB were struggling and he played a few games there in a largely defensive role though still getting forward a bit and got very strong reviews. We need to get back to having guys that are pure defenders playing defense for the USMNT. The USMNT seems to be choosing guys based on what else they can provide rather than what type of defender they are and I believe that's a flawed approach.

    And when exactly, was Lichaj poor for the USMNT, the 2011 Gold Cup? His first bad backpass to Tim Howard in GC 2017 in a game we still pitched a shutout? Under Dave Sarachan he played the best LB shift I've seen from a US LB in many years against Portugal. He also played well enough against Mexico almost exactly one year ago today (the last time we beat Mexico btw). He missed a few passes but led the team in tackles while adding 13 defensive stops and did a very nice job on Llainez. The one time Llainez got loose while Lichaj was in there was when, you guessed it, Will Trapp got isolated on him.

    I would like to see Robinson, Gloster, and Hollingshead all be incorporated into the pool to varying degrees but for me, we are in no position to be choosy and when we have a guy who has played LB well for the USMNT in the recent past, we need to keep calling him in.
     
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  24. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don’t think Lichaj is the savior of the men’s national team, but I do believe he’s an improvement over Daniel Lovitz.
     
  25. UncagedGorilla

    Barcelona
    Sep 22, 2009
    East Bay, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    Agreed. I don't expect a 30-year-old to spring up out of the abyss and save the team but there are a few guys like him and Morales that I think make marginal improvements. It allows Ream to move to LCB which obviously is a good thing for the team. A Lichaj/Robinson LB pairing is a younger, more athletic, and better tandem than Ream/Lovitz while providing all the same things plus a few more.

    Not to mention Lichaj and Dest can both play LB and RB so Gregg would have a bit more flexibility.
     

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